DODGEVILLE, WI -- This year the Driftless Area Land Conservancy celebrates our 10-year anniversary with a “bookend easement donation” that features a wonderful conservation partnership and the protection of one of Wisconsin’s most unique natural communities. In 2003, the Malcolm Stack Foundation donated a 54-acre conservation easement to Driftless Area Land Conservancy, representing one of our very first conservation easement projects.

Our most recent easement donation, signed just this month, protects the remaining 105-acres of the Malcolm Stack Foundation property and solidifies the foundation’s commitment to helping protect one of Wisconsin’s truly unique and rare natural communities.

Since the time of the Malcolm Stack Foundation’s first easement donation, the conservancy has protected roughly 2,500 acres and 12 properties. It is fitting that the foundation “bookend’s” our first 10 years with this second important easement donation.

In addition to protecting the pine relict forests and associated oak woodlands, the conservation easement will permit and encourage continued uses such as field trips, guided hikes, photography, artist clinics, nature study and aesthetic enjoyment. Furthermore, plant communities and associated wildlife will benefit from this significant block of permanently protected habitat.

The Malcolm Stack Foundation was established in 2001 to promote land conservation and education. The foundation is dedicated to conserving land in the Driftless Area; and, in particular, foundation directors feel that it is imperative to preserve the pine relicts forests found on the property for future generations. Driftless Area Land Conservancy appreciates and values our partnership with the Malcolm Stack Foundation and would like to sincerely thank the Foundation board members for their commitment to conservation in southwest Wisconsin.

Southwest Wisconsin’s Pine Relicts: Our Oldest Driftless Denizens

These remnants (pictured above) from the glacial era are so sparse and hidden from noisy civilization that they are virtually unknown by most Wisconsin residents. Even if one chances upon a stand of these tall pines, perhaps during a walk or in pursuit of a deer or turkey, he or she may not consider the relationship of this forest community to our glacial past. Each relict, often less than 5 acres, typically contains over 75% of the 25 most common species in the northern pine forests. The resulting community, a unique blend of northern and southern species, deserves our veneration, care and protection.

Pine relicts are pine forest communities that have persisted in southern Wisconsin since the last glacier retreated some 10,000 years ago. These relicts were part of what was once an expansive pine dominated landscape in a cool southern Wisconsin climate. As time passed and the climate gradually warmed (6,500 - 3,000 years ago) prairie and oak savannas replaced nearly all of the pine forests throughout southern Wisconsin, except in very steep draws and among the rocky cliffs in the Driftless Area of Southwest Wisconsin. The Ridgeway pines are only one of two large pine relicts in Southern Wisconsin.

The Land Trust Alliance and Gathering Waters Conservancy have a common goal: we want to help land trusts achieve excellence. To do this, we teamed up and launched the Land Trust Excellence and Advancement Program (LEAP) in Wisconsin in 2011.

LEAP is a multi-year program of services and support designed to help Wisconsin’s land trusts permanently protect the state’s natural and working lands by ensuring their own sustainability, effectiveness and credibility.

Wisconsin LEAP delivers these services in a variety of ways. A limited number of land trusts that are at a critical juncture in their development or are preparing for land trust accreditation are periodically accepted into the direct services part of the program and receive a combination of organizational assessments, mentoring, and small grants. Land trusts accepted into the program receive this full suite of individualized services over a two-year time period.

The LEAP program also provides small grant opportunities and mentoring services to Wisconsin land trusts that are not yet ready for the intensive full advancement program. In 2012 we assisted 10 land trusts with guided assessments, small grants, and mentoring projects.

In addition to member services, Wisconsin LEAP has allowed the Alliance and Gathering Waters to bring increased in-person and online training opportunities to Wisconsin, to provide access to online information through our websites, and to offer more intensive coaching on subjects ranging from board governance to land acquisitions. Upcoming trainings are posted to both the Alliance and Gathering Waters websites. Ask An Expert conference calls also are offered the first Friday of most months to board and staff members of all land trusts in the Midwest. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us.

Wisconsin LEAP is made possible through the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Wisconsin Energy Foundation, Forest County Potawatomi Foundation, the Wisconsin DNR, John C. Bock Foundation, and many individual supporters. We also thank the McKnight Foundation for their past support of this program.

Wisconsin LEAP News and Resources

LEAP Grant Applications

Need help LEAPing across a big hurdle? We are pleased to offer grants for independent projects through the LEAP Program. This opportunity for small ($1,000 to $5,000) grants is open to all Gathering Water Conservancy and Land Trust Alliance member land trusts in Wisconsin. This is your opportunity to accomplish a high priority activity: a fundraising plan, communications improvements, completing baseline documentation reports, or many other tasks. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applications are due July 15. Read more information and apply today >>

Direct Services Program

We recently accepted four new members into the Wisconsin LEAP program. Congratulations to Driftless Area Land Conservancy, Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, Madison Audubon Society, and Tall Pines Conservancy. These land trusts join the Ice Age Trail Alliance, Door County Land Trust, Natural Heritage Land Trust, and The Prairie Enthusiasts. Please contact MaryKay O’Donnell or Kate Zurlo-Cuva if you are interested in joining the LEAP program.

Peer Mentoring Program

The LEAP Peer Mentoring program is currently underway. Thirty-three Wisconsin and Michigan land conservation professionals are learning from each other and sharing with one another through this positive learning environment. For more details, please contact MaryKay O’Donnell at the Land Trust Alliance or Kate Zuro-Cuva at Gathering Waters.

MADISON, WI — Good news that yesterday afternoon the Natural Heritage Land Trust purchased 100 acres to add to Westport Drumlin, a state natural area between Cherokee Marsh and Waunakee. Five years in the making, this acquisition permanently protects the western side of Westport Drumlin, a beautiful and ecologically-rich prairie and savanna. Acquisition of this property also means the permanent protection of four prairie remnants which The Prairie Enthusiasts has been managing for many years. It will also provide a location for a small parking area and trail head to greatly improve public access to the drumlin.

This is our third acquisition at Westport Drumlin; the protected landscape has grown from 14 acres to 217 acres in just two years. Click here for a map of the area.

Funding for the acquisition of the 100 acres came from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, The Conservation Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dane County Conservation Fund, Wisconsin Land Fund, and members of the Natural Heritage Land Trust. The Town of Westport and Village of Waunakee also helped make this acquisition possible.

Our special thanks go to the Koltes Brothers for their willingness to sell this great place so it can be permanently protected. I also want to thank Mark Martin of the DNR State Natural Areas program for his commitment to the Westport Drumlin landscape.

]]>No publisherKimberly SeeseWisconsinMidwest2010-09-23T14:15:00ZNews ItemMisty Valley Farm: A Place to Call Homehttp://www.landtrustalliance.org/land-trusts/mw-success/misty-valley-farm-a-place-to-call-home
WI- As a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee geography professor, Paul Lydolph shared his love of the land with his students. And now as the owner of Misty Valley Farm, he and his wife Mary can share the benefits of a permanently conserved farm with neighbors, family and friends in Sheboygan County.No publisherKimberly SeeseWisconsinMidwest2010-09-08T18:02:12ZSuccess StoryKeeping Wisconsin's Totogatic River Wild http://www.landtrustalliance.org/events-news/midwest-news/keeping-wisconsins-totogatic-river-wild
June 24, 2010 | The Conservation Fund | Wausua, WIFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wausau, WI – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle joined representatives of The Conservation Fund and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today to announce the protection of 2,100 acres along the Totogatic River – one of the few remaining near-wilderness streams in the state.

“These are incredible additions to public lands in Wisconsin that will now be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come,” Governor Doyle said. “Our natural resources are one of the main reasons why people want to live, vacation, and move here. They are why businesses want to locate here. The future of our state is closely linked to our natural resources, and I’m pleased that, today, that future is looking even brighter with the protection of these lands.”

The clear, cool waters of the Totogatic River flow for 70 miles through five counties in northern Wisconsin, forming a wild and pristine stream in the St. Croix River Basin and the Mississippi River watershed. Much of the Totogatic River remains in its natural state, with scenic waterfalls, forested banks and challenging rapids. It earned the state’s designation as a Wild River in 2009 – a designation shared with only four other rivers in the state – which ensures the river’s long-term protection from development threats.

“The Totogatic is an inspiring, wild river,” said Tom Duffus, upper Midwest director for The Conservation Fund. “We applaud DNR for recognizing its importance to the people of the state and the people who live near it. Pristine tributaries to the Mississippi River like the Totogatic play a role in the future of the Gulf of Mexico, even if a small one. We also applaud Wausau Paper Company for its 100 years of stewardship of these lands and its willingness to conserve the river.”

The Conservation Fund facilitated Wisconsin DNR’s purchase from Wausau Paper, headquartered in Mosinee, Wisconsin. The property includes 12 miles of river frontage and provides habitat for more than 20 Species of Greatest Conservation Need identified in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan.

The Wisconsin Knowles-Nelson State Stewardship Fund provided a majority of the funding for the state’s purchase. Additional funding came from The Conservation Fund, through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Upper Midwest Wildlife Initiative, a grant program that funds projects implementing State Wildlife Action Plans for conserving species and habitats of greatest conservation need. The McKnight Foundation, in recognition of the importance of connecting people to the waters of the Mississippi River and conserving pristine areas of the watershed, provided additional financing assistance.

DNR will manage the property and provide public access for hunting, fishing, trapping, canoeing/kayaking and hiking.

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About The Conservation Fund

The Conservation Fund is dedicated to advancing America’s land and water legacy. With our partners, we conserve land, train leaders and invest in conservation at home. Since 1985, we have helped protect more than 6 million acres, sustaining wild havens, working lands and vibrant communities. We're a top-ranked conservation organization, effective and efficient. www.conservationfund.org

Association Recognized for Innovation in Media and Publishing

Presented with two 2009 EXCEL Awards

Washington, DC—The Land Trust Alliance is being honored by the Society of National Association Publications (SNAP) at its 29th Annual EXCEL Awards, which recognize the best and the brightest in association media and publishing.

As one of 181 winners selected from nearly 1,000 entries, the Alliance is being presented a Gold Award in the Magazines: Most Improved category and a Gold Award in the Magazines: Redesign category (submitted by Bates Creative Group) for taking bold chances and delivering excellence in the association industry.

“Congratulations to the Land Trust Alliance, one of the recipients of our EXCEL Awards,” said Amy Lestition, CAE, SNAP’s executive director, “These publications demonstrate the importance of conveying content in a variety of formats to our constituents. Bravo to the publication and media association professionals for their mastery of the field.”

“We went through a rigorous redesign process and this is a wonderful affirmation of our success,” said Chris Soto, editor of Saving Land, the winning magazine of the Alliance.

The Land Trust Alliance will be honored and celebrated at the 29th EXCEL Awards Gala on June 4, 2009. Award-winning entries are displayed at the EXCEL Awards Gala and are featured in the July/ August issue of Association Publishing. The Alliance may also be a winner of the distinguished EXTRA! Awards—presented to associations pushing the edge of the envelope further to innovate in an ever-changing publishing environment—which will be announced at the EXCEL Awards Gala in June. For more information on the Association Media and Publishing Conference and the EXCEL Awards Gala, visit www.snaponline.org.

About the Land Trust Alliance: The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation group that works on behalf of America’s 1,700 land trusts to save the places people love by strengthening conservation throughout America. The Alliance works to increase the pace and quality of conservation by advocating favorable tax policies, training land trusts in best practices and working to ensure the permanence of conservation in the face of continuing threats.

About SNAP: SNAP is the one non-profit, professional society serving the needs of association publishers and communications professionals. Areas of expertise include: fostering effective relationships among publishers, communications professionals, and industry providers; developing and maintaining high editorial and advertising standards through our Excel Awards and Publications Review Program; providing members with the latest industry movements through bi-annual meetings, Lunch & Learn Seminars, the SNAP listserve, and Association Publishing, our bimonthly magazine; and, connecting professionals with career opportunities in association publishing through our Career Center.